


trailer trash

by parishilton



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Catholic School, Gay For You, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Poor Louis, Rich Harry, harry plays tennis and golf and goes to private school, louis lives in a trailer park and really isn't gay, mention of drugs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-13
Updated: 2014-03-13
Packaged: 2018-01-15 14:04:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1307512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parishilton/pseuds/parishilton
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"so, louis," harry says, "what do you guys do for fun?" </p><p>"play chess and read the encyclopedia britannica. sit by the fireplace and bearskin rug," louis replies, shrugging.</p>
            </blockquote>





	trailer trash

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by louis' new long hair that will hopefully become a rat tail one day and every song by fidlar. title of fic from "trailer trash" by modest mouse.

jay has a new fake louis vuitton bag sitting out on their kitchen counter in the morning. louis is tempted to accidentally spill his entire bowl of cornflakes into it. he resists only because he knows if he doesn't he won't get beer money out of her for a month.

he parks his butt on the fold out bed because somebody hadn't bothered to fold it back up into the kitchen table. his guess would be lottie. she's always fighting with her boyfriend and coming back to their trailer crying with mascara running down her face and spending the night without telling anyone.

he idly scratches his balls from over his briefs. his rat tail is braided messily down the back of his neck and its making him itchy.

lottie comes in the trailer wrapped in their only nice towel, with another towel wrapped around her head. she wrinkles her nose at his hand placement and he grins and winks lewdly at her.

"you're nasty," she says bluntly, "go shower. there's nobody out there yet."

the best time of day to use the community showers is as early as possible, because they get cleaned around five in the morning every day.

"what's nasty is your boyfriend's coke problem," louis states from around his spoon.

she glares. "he's clean. anyway, at least i'm finally living in a _real_ house, unlike you."

he snorts. "you call that shack a house? you don't even have air conditioning there. at least here we have the lake."

lottie huffs. "we're working on that. and the lake is infested with viruses. that's why the water is green."

"the water is yellow, if anything." louis chews.

lottie grips her towel around herself with a tight fist. her eyes are glassy. "he really is clean, though."

"save yourself the trouble and move back home," louis says sharply.

"you're just as bad as mom." she sniffs, tears welling up in her blue eyes.

"that's not true." louis pats her bare knee. "mom doesn't want it to last because she's jealous. i don't want it to last because i hate him."

lottie laughs. "thanks." she wipes at one eye with her thumb.

* * *

 

louis grew up here and he's always liked it. his friends are literally a thirty second walk away and they have inflatable pools and everyone barbecues almost every day.

there was a period of time when zayn was in jail where he briefly considered leaving, but he had no money and he could never get where he wanted to go with his hunk of junk truck.

zayn had just dropped out of high school around the same time as louis when he got busted for shoplifting a huge television for mother's day. he was only in jail for a couple months, but he came out with gang tattoos, which both surprised louis and didn't. zayn had a habit of talking a big game and not doing much to back it up, but at least he found people to trust while he was there.

"made the best of a bad situation," zayn says. "the only thing is now i got these shitty tattoos that look like a six year old did them." he looks over both his arms, laughing. "i look really tough, though, right?"

louis ignores the question. "did you get made a bitch in there?" he asks, grinning.

"yeah," zayn says quietly. "couldn't really help it."

"oh," louis says. he pats zayn's back. "sorry, man." he lights up a cigarette. "did it hurt?"

zayn nods furiously. "never again, man."

"well, obviously."

"no, i mean, i'm never doing anything _illegal_ again. i can't go back to jail and have another guy fuck me up against bricks again. it's, like, it hurts so bad on each side you don't whether to push against the guy or the bricks."

"jesus christ," louis says, shaking his head. "at least it didn't turn you into a fag." he stretches out his legs on the lawn chair.

"never," zayn says, wrinkling his nose. "i'm going to hang around the high school tomorrow to find some girls to hang out with. you coming?"

"no," louis says, laughing. "what the fuck? are you that desperate?"

"um, yeah," zayn answers. "i've been having sex with men for two months."

louis puts out his cigarette on the inside of his arm. "good point."

* * *

 

"where the fuck are we?" louis asks, peering out the window. zayn tosses him a pair of binoculars.

lighting up a cigarette, zayn says, "the private school. saint john's."

louis snorts. "so, you're trying to pick up mary, mother of god?"

"nah, look over there. putting on red lipstick as soon as school gets out?" zayn points to a blonde girl leaning against one of the school's pillars. "more like mary magdalene."

"i feel like a pervert." louis throws his binoculars down at zayn. "where did you get these?"

zayn drops his down to his chest, strap still hanging around his neck. "stole them."

"fucking idiot." louis sighs and props his feet on his dash. zayn can never stick to anything. "go tell her we have tootsie rolls and bring her to the car so i can catch my tv shows."

"are you suddenly asexual?" zayn asks, taking a drag from his cigarette. "why won't you come with me?"

"i just want some beer," louis moans. "get the fuck out of my truck."

"i'll steal you your fucking beer if you come with me." zayn kicks open the passenger side door with his boot.

louis steps out of the truck wearing his ripped jeans and white ribbed tank top.

"could you have made yourself look any less desirable to girls?" zayn asks, stomping out his cigarette with his boot.

they walk up to the building slowly, zayn obviously trying to build some sort of suspense. mary magdalene and her friends seem to buy zayn's stupid act, grinning at him as they get closer.

louis stalks off, leaving zayn to show off his jail tats to the private school girls. he sighs and leans himself against the wall near the front door. he's not there more than thirty seconds before a woman comes out, glaring at him. she's wearing a gray turtleneck and has a tiny gold cross necklace laying over her chest.

"let me guess," louis sighs, "i'm not allowed on school grounds?"

the woman huffs. "no, you are most certainly not, not unless you're here to pick up a student."

louis is this close to telling her zayn is in the process of _picking up_ a student when a kid walks up beside them, in uniform, smiling easily.

"hey, sorry i'm late," he says, clapping louis on the shoulder. "forgot a book in my locker and had to double back."

the woman turns to the kid and raises her eyebrows. "do you know this man, mr. styles?"

"he's my cousin."

louis stares, dumbfounded. he waits, bemused, while the kid continues to chat with the woman. he's carrying some huge bag, maybe for a sport or something. it looks like it would be heavy, but it hangs gracefully off one shoulder and he doesn't seem bothered by it. flashing very white teeth several times despite the woman's tense posture, he appears to be comfortable sweet-talking her. he shakes his hair out and the effect is almost like there's a fan in front of him, like in pantene commercials.

when she finally fucks off, the kid turns back to him and bites his lip. "she likes to call the cops on guys who come here to scam on girls."

louis nods. "thanks, man. appreciate it."

"i'm harry," the kid says, dropping his sports bag on the ground and reaching out his hand to shake louis'.

"my name's louis." louis laughs, taking his hand and shaking it.

"what?" harry asks, looking like he's bracing for the impact of an insult.

louis shrugs. "very proper."

"uh, yeah." harry bites his lip again. "force of habit. sorry."

"it's cool." louis turns and looks over to zayn, who's got two girls hanging off him, one blonde and one red-haired.

"did i just bail him out too?" the kid asks, laughing.

louis turns back to him, nodding. "yeah. i'm only here for moral support, though. i'm not, like, a predator." he wipes his suddenly sweaty hands on his thighs.

harry lip twitches. "yeah, cool. um, i'll see you around." he backs away slowly, looking like he wants to say something else, but he doesn't. it's oddly endearing and louis can feel his hands getting sweaty again. he grabs zayn and his two new friends and they bail.

* * *

 

louis fucks the red-haired girl. he doesn't really like her, she's weird and quiet and louis feels like she's that one girl in the school who's probably tried to summon lucifer in the school's basement by beheading a small rabbit, or something.

zayn followed through on his promise to steal louis beer, so louis is lucky enough not to really mind the girl's unnerving quietness. meanwhile, zayn and mary magdalene are doing something really gay in louis' truck, arm wrestling or something. louis didn't fill up his gas tank with his mom's money to get zayn a fucking arm wrestling partner. he rolls his eyes and snaps his hips and comes inside the girl.

the next day louis wakes up from his mom hitting him in the face repeatedly with a newspaper.

"what the fu-" louis pulls the blanket over his head to shield himself. "what time is it?"

"time for you to go pick up the twins from school. i have work."

louis flips her off from inside his blanket. it does no good. he winds up throwing on a pair of ratty gray sweatpants and his dad's old leather jacket. the cuffs go past his fingers by about two inches, but louis loves the thing.

zayn is outside, leaning against his trailer, smoking. he nods to louis and jumps in the passenger seat.

"zayn," louis groans, "there won't be room for my sisters if you come."

"i need a lift to saint john's." zayn frowns and picks up a discarded can of beer. louis sees it hasn't been opened, so he gulps it down. heir of the dog.

"what?" louis snaps. "what for?"

"told pez i wanted to see her again," zayn murmurs, kicking around all the empty cans at his feet.

" _who_?"

"the _blonde_ ," zayn says in exasperation.

louis rolls his eyes. he pulls into the parking lot of his sisters' public elementary school and tells zayn he's gonna have to sit in the bed of the truck with his stupid new girlfriend. zayn punches him in the arm for calling _pez_ stupid, but agrees.

when they get to saint john's, daisy and phoebe are hyped up and desperately want to get out of the car with zayn. louis knows they both have crushes on him, so he decides to go along with them to make sure zayn doesn't do anything rash, like explain to them what teabagging is.

mary magdalene is waiting for zayn at the entrance of the school. louis runs after his sisters so he can catch them before they fucking enter the building, but they get stopped by the same woman who was there the day before.

she smiles down at them. "aren't you two adorable," she coos.

louis catches up to them, resting his hands on daisy's shoulders. "girls, c'mon, knock it off."

"oh, it's mr. styles' cousin. i'll go get him."

"no, wait-" louis starts, but she's already gone back inside. " _fuck_ ," he mutters under his breath. phoebe giggles up at him.

zayn and the blonde girl come up to them, looking way too good together to ever amount to a real couple. "what's up?" zayn drawls, really laying it on thick for the girl.

"nothing, let's get out of here," louis says. but the kid is back out here, standing there with the woman and looking apologetic.

"louis," he says, wincing. "thanks for picking me up."

zayn frowns and starts to ask who he is, but louis elbows him in the gut. "harry," louis says with thin lips. "let's head out."

once the woman leaves, the kid starts laughing. "i'm sorry," he says. "you guys can go."

"you need a ride, harry?" the blonde asks.

"uh," he answers awkwardly, "yeah, but i can just-"

"come with us," she says sweetly, "you like klonopins?"

harry's busy riffling through his sports bag. he pulls out a visor of all things and sticks it on top of his head. jesus, he's preppy. "is that a band?"

louis coughs. " _christ_."

"let's head out," zayn clears his throat and makes eyes at his girlfriend. "we need to get louis' sisters home."

"oh, sorry," she apologizes, smiling.

mary magdalene and zayn get in the bed of the truck and louis tells daisy to sit in his lap so harry can have the passenger seat, phoebe in the middle.

he glances over at harry, who's still wearing the fucking visor. it's white and looks like it has velcro in the back. what sport does he do, anyway? his jaw is one clear cut line, moving because he's chewing gum.

louis tightens his hands on the wheel.

* * *

 

"so, how did the match go with holy cross?" perrie says. louis has finally learned her full name. she hates it, though, and demands to be called _pez_.

harry grins. "we had to go to a tiebreaker, but i managed to get a set."

"a set?" louis asks.

"i play tennis," harry supplies. he's finally taken off his visor, but both he and perrie are in their uniforms. they're both wearing gray slacks and tucked in white polos. perrie has accessorized with an enormous wooden cross that is probably worn ironically. harry doesn't appear to have any accessories, until he turns his head just so, and louis sees that one of his ears is pierced.

which ear is it that means you're gay?

"wow, tennis." zayn laughs. "me and louis' school, we just had football and cheerleading."

"i'd love to cheerlead," perrie says.

"yeah, i'd love it too." zayn chuckles. they lean in for a kiss.

louis doesn't know where else to look but his bare feet. he always takes off his shoes at zayn's trailer. his mom keeps the place spotless. they're all sitting on zayn's full sized bed, cross-legged.

"so, louis," harry says, "what do you guys do for fun?"

"play chess and read the encyclopedia britannica. sit by the fireplace and bearskin rug," louis replies, shrugging.

harry laughs. his voice is so deep, it startles louis even though he's heard it before. "really, though, what do you do?"

"swim some, play cards, get drunk." louis avoids meeting harry's gaze. "i'll get the cards. we can play poker."

harry stays forever. he says he could call anytime and have his mom pick him up, but he never does. he finally leaves with perrie when her parents come.

zayn flops backwards on his bed, arms crossed behind his head. he lights up a cigarette and tosses one at louis. "what do you think of her?"

"she's nice," louis shrugs. he waits for zayn to pass him a lighter.

"what's up with this harry kid? is he, like, her friend?" zayn asks him.

"i guess." louis blows out a smoke ring.

zayn _hmms_ thoughtfully. "seems like he likes _you_."

louis turns to look at zayn, frowning. "you think he's a fag?"

zayn shrugs. "don't know. maybe. maybe not."

louis wants to tell him that if harry hadn't have been there to bail them out, zayn might have gone back to jail for another two months. he's on probation and all that. but he feels like it would be weird for him to defend a kid he's only known for two days, so he doesn't mention it.

he lies down beside zayn and yawns. "i'm fucking exhausted. can i crash here?"

"yeah." zayn stubs out his cigarette on his own arm and rolls over to turn off his light.

* * *

 

he wakes up to a pounding coming from somewhere he can't place. he smells zayn before he sees him, smells like monster energy drinks and cigarettes. he groans and lifts his own pillow out from under his head, whacks zayn across the face with it.

"get the door."

zayn reaches out one arm and pushes louis right off the bed. "what the fuck," louis spits, "i guess you finally had time to work out while you were locked up."

he doesn't even get a response. he sighs and goes to answer the door of the trailer. standing there in all her glory is lottie tomlinson, wearing her pink robe and sporting baby blue hair rollers on her head.

"i knew you would be here," she taunts.

"uh, good?" louis shrugs. "what do you want?"

"i need help moving some stuff into the new house."

louis snorts. "get a u-haul." he moves to shut the door, but lottie slams her hand against it to keep it open.

"with what money?" she asks icily.

"why doesn't your boyfriend have any? who knew there isn't good money in cocaine addiction," he laughs.

her eye twitches and he's positive he's about to get slapped upside the head when zayn strolls over, wearing only boxers.

"hey, babe." he grins lewdly at her.

she grimaces. "zayn."

"heard you need some movers." he flexes obnoxiously. "i put on some muscle mass while i was away."

"congratulations," lottie laughs. "but i really don't need any ex-convicts. plus, i need more than two people."

"well," zayn shrugs, "we can come and maybe that harry kid can help."

louis turns around, glaring. "are you fucking kidding me?" he whispers. "you have a girlfriend already. why are you so desperate to go?"

zayn shrugs. "we're not exclusive. we've only been dating for two days."

"um, i can hear everything you're saying," lottie grins. "so, are you coming or not?"

louis is livid. "yeah, sure. we'll be there after i drop the girls off at home."

"they're staying with us this weekend," lottie supplies before leaving.

once she's gone, zayn sneers. "your little sisters shouldn't be staying over night with that dick."

louis goes to riffle through zayn's fridge for a beer.

* * *

 

"pez, can you go find harry?" zayn asks his girlfriend.

"yeah," she says, teetering up and down on her heels. she does come back with him after a few minutes, dragging him along by the sleeve.

"hey?" harry asks them, cocking an eyebrow. he leans forward against the car, arms hanging inside the passenger's side door, looking at louis intently. 

"louis' sister needs some guys to help her move furniture," zayn explains.

"oh, so i'm free labor?" harry laughs.

louis feels his hands sweat a little. he waves them along into the truck and doesn't notice harry's huge sports bag until it's sitting on his lap.

louis turns away from the windshield, to glance at him. "it's friday," he says, surprised. "do they make you practice over the weekend?"

"uh, my dad's really into playing golf and i've got some stuff in here." harry looks out the window and louis doesn't feel like he should press, but he's never really been great at doing what people want.

"you don't like him?" louis asks, staring straight ahead at the road.

"oh, um." harry pauses, probably surprised louis asked. "he pries into my life. he - tries to set me up with girls i don't like, daughters of his golf buddies."

"oh," louis says dumbly. "you don't like preppy girls?"

"no," harry says, laughing.

"hey!" perrie yells, laughing. her head sticks through the window between the truck bed and the front seat. louis' two sisters are in the back with her and zayn.

"sorry," he says, blushing.

louis doesn't why he would be embarrassed. it's not like perrie likes harry. unless she does? or is louis missing something?

"but _you're_ -" louis waves his hand in the air. "preppy."

harry tugs at the collar of his white polo shirt nervously. "i mean, this is just a uniform."

"i bet you wear the same thing all weekend," louis guesses.

"well, i have to wear polos if i go golfing with my dad-"

" _so_ preppy, jesus." louis smirks.

harry grimaces. "well, _you're_ just as much a walking stereotype."

"say it," louis laughs, "trailer trash."

harry grins. "i was going to say juvenile delinquent."

"that's zayn," louis clarifies.

"good to know." harry looks back out the window, smiling.

* * *

 

zayn immediately whips off his tee shirt when they get to lottie's place. it's a tiny one floor house with outdated kitchen floors and shit for heating, but lottie loves it and never stops bragging that she's younger than louis and got a house before him.

perrie giggles when zayn's shirt gets flung at her chest. them, she balls it up and zips it into her backpack.

zayn and harry head off to find lottie so they can ask what needs to be moved. louis hangs back with perrie and sighs, arms folded over his chest.

"it's a cute place," she says.

"i bet you live in a mansion." louis isn't really bitter, just hates it when people pity him.

" _what_?" she says, laughing. "i live in a two bedroom apartment with my parents."

"so how do you afford private school?" he asks.

"god, pry much?" she asks, smiling. "my dad is a biology teacher."

"they _have_ biology in catholic school?" louis asks in disbelief.

she rolls her eyes. "don't act like i don't know what goes on in trailer parks."

"dog fights?" he asks.

"polygamist cults." she nods to herself. "saw it on doctor phil."

"ah." he sighs. zayn and harry are taking forever. "so, are you and harry close?"

"not really," she says, "i mean, he's great. i just don't know him very well."

louis cinches his eyebrows. "so, why did he agree to this? i thought he came because you were coming."

"no." she shrugs. "maybe he was bored? i thought he was your cousin."

louis stares at her in disbelief. jesus, what was this kid's deal?

* * *

 

when zayn had suggested they go back to his trailer, he had assumed he meant all of them. mainly because that's what zayn led him to believe.

"see you later, buddy." zayn winks and claps louis on the back before beckoning perrie in and slamming the door shut before he and harry could go in.

"fuckhead," louis mutters, banging furiously on the door.

"fuck off!" zayn shouts through the door, laughing.

louis turns to harry, apologetically wincing. "well, i can give you a ride home."

"um." harry looks down at the watch on his wrist (jesus, this kid was loaded) and bites his lip. "my mom is picking me up at nine and she probably won't answer if i call. she's still working."

"oh," louis says. his hands go clammy. what is he supposed to do with this kid for four hours? harry stares at him hopefully, standing directly under the sun and squinting.

"i'm a little sweaty from moving the furniture," harry says. "can i use your shower?"

louis grimaces. "don't have one. you've got two options: the public showers or the lake."

"public?" harry asks. "like, other people will be in there?"

"yeah," louis says, laughing. "but it's a good time to shower. you'll probably only have, oh, three or four people staring at you."

"so, how cold is the lake this time of year?"

* * *

 

"will you be joining me?" harry asks, walking towards the lake. he's already taken his shirt off and is surveying the alarming green color of the water while tugging off his uniform pants.

louis frowns. "are you a fag?"

harry turns around in disbelief. "what?" he asks, laughing. "how old are you?"

"eighteen," louis answers, relaxing now that sees harry is mocking him.

harry shakes his head. "look, if i get e. coli, it's on your conscience."

"fine," louis grumbles, taking his shirt off. he's bony and still tan from the summer. "just so you know, it's not dangerous. the only thing i've gotten from this lake is swimmer's ear."

harry glowers. "isn't that when puss comes out of your ear canal?"

"you're not going to get it from one swim." louis rolls his eyes. "pussy."

harry laughs. "is that what happened to you? did puss come out of your ears?"

"no, just had the worst migraine of my life." louis finally gets into the water, up to his waist, in only his underwear. harry, wincing because how cold it is, comes up slowly. "zayn ended up massaging my head for three days."

"fag." harry grins.

louis glares and dunks harry's head under the water without thinking.

harry comes back up sputtering and laughing.

* * *

 

"how is it that my feet came out clean and your's came out black?" harry asks, looking at louis' feet as he sat down beside louis on the couch.

"i walked in the dirt after," louis says offhandedly, using the remote to turn the tv on. "why? are they grossing you out?" he laughs, holding one foot up and trying to piss harry off by waving his foot around in his face.

"no," harry says plainly. he grabs louis' foot and sticks his thumb into the arch. he inspects the bottom of louis' foot with careful precision.

"you're so fucking weird." louis stares in disbelief at harry. he pulls his foot away from harry and reaches for his phone when it starts buzzing on the table.

"hello?"

"louis, it's me." lottie sounds like she's crying. louis sighs loudly.

"i know. i saw your name."

"please just don't say i told you so," she says between hiccups.

louis sits up straighter on the couch, running a hand through his hair. "what happened? are you okay?"

"i'm fine." lottie pauses. "he hit me."

"where are the twins?" louis asks.

"they didn't see," lottie says quietly. "they're fine."

"do you need me to come get you?"

"no, i'm fine. just don't hang up."

louis scrubs his face over with one hand, sighing. "alright." he slumps back down on the couch, resigned. he wouldn't mind going to pick her up, but she's hard-headed and if he heads over there and tries to take her against her will he's just going to end up being punched out by her boyfriend.

he listens to her sniffles and sighs again. "why don't you wait for him to fall asleep and come over here with the girls?" he rubs at his aching temples from the headache he's starting to get.

"no," lottie says. "look, he's just in a bad mood. he's-"

"oh, for _fuck's_ sake-" louis starts to say, snapping out of it when he feels harry pick his foot back up and start pressing his thumb back into the arch. he's about to tell harry to fuck off when lottie answers.

"shut up, louis," she says, crying. "i know what it sounds like, but i'm not making excuses. he's just not himself right now."

louis grits his teeth. he's fed up with her never mentioning his addiction issues. he starts to straighten back up on the couch to yell at lottie over the phone when harry wraps both hands around louis' foot and squeezes, running both thumbs under it and making him shiver. it's like every nerve-ending in his body is connected to the bottom of his foot, which harry keeps massaging. 

"look," louis says, finally. "you need to leave him. i know you love having a house, but-"

"i can't come back after everything mom's said."

"then kick him out and keep the house." louis tenses up again, getting agitated. his hands forms a fist. harry keeps fucking with his foot and it's making louis' hands sweat again. god, it felt really nice. 

"don't be _stupid_. he'd kill me."

"well, isn't that nice." louis sighs. "you know what you _could_ do? have zayn over there and ask him to beat him up. he definitely would."

lottie doesn't find the advice particularly enlightening. she ends up hanging up the phone once she's calmed down and promised to think about leaving her loser boyfriend.

louis is left to realizing that without his sister babbling in his ear, this whole business with letting harry touch his foot is really faggy.

"don't do that," louis says in disdain, staring daggers at harry's hands. 

"why not? wasn't it helping?"

" _what?_ " louis spits. "no."

harry shrugs, smiling, but finally letting go of louis' foot.

"stop smiling like that. god, you're such a fag."

harry rolls his eyes. "you got any beer?" he asks in a very gruff, put-on voice, trying to sound manlier.

louis is thankful harry doesn't pry about the phone call.

* * *

 

"where's perrie?" louis asks when he and harry come in zayn's trailer a few days later.

zayn looks mildly annoyed at the question. " _pez_ ," he starts, "has flute lessons on sundays after church. and it's not like i spend every waking moment with her."

louis shrugs. "settle down, buddy. you need some midol for your mood swings?"

harry snickers, sitting down at the kitchen table across from zayn.

"you practically invented pms, dickwad."

"that i did," louis grins, "right after polio and the bubonic plague."

"and swimmer's ear," harry adds.

louis points at harry, nodding. "that's right, harry. thank you."

"well," zayn says, craning his neck to check the time on his microwave, "five hours til my mom gets home from work. pabst blue, anyone?"

"i don't drink beer," harry says as zayn tries to hand him one.

"what do you drink?" zayn asks. "no, let me guess. champagne? or maybe cosmos?"

louis thinks he's about to witness harry having his feelings hurt, but instead is impressed when harry plays along. "pediasure in strawberry. if you have any."

"hm." zayn tips his beer back and takes a gulp. "okay guy you got here, louis."

"he's like the brother i never had," louis confirms.

zayn huffs. "what about me?"

louis grins. "you're like the friend who went to jail i never had."

* * *

 

the next week is chaotic. louis hardly sees harry - he's too busy listening to his sister yack on the phone to him. she's been tearfully reading him monologues about how she plans to break up with her boyfriend that end with her not only keeping the house and somehow managing to afford it alone on no salary, but also acquiring a race horse to keep her company. louis tells her she's dreaming a little too big.

it's a tuesday afternoon when everything finally happens. louis was driving around town with zayn, listening to drake, and missed _everything_.

according to lottie, she had gone to the trailer to find louis and get help, because her now ex-boyfriend was on coke and acting like a psychopath. she'd picked up louis' cell phone and tried to call zayn to find them, but nobody answered, so she called harry in a confused panic.

and harry had gone down to the house and punched him.

"so," louis asks slowly, "he said he wouldn't move out and that's when harry hit him?"

"no!" lottie cries, eyes enlarging as she tries to reenact the day. "he said he wasn't going to let me leave him and _that's_ when harry hit him. right in the nose! you should have seen it."

louis shakes his head. "i wish i had. that kid is crazy."

lottie smiles like she's hiding something, then sits down beside louis and claps him on the knee. "i flirted with him a little."

"with harry?" louis demands, freezing.

"i asked him out," lottie admits hesitantly, "i mean, i thought he did it for _me_."

louis grits his teeth, suddenly angry. he really hated it when his lottie dated his friends. it happened more often then one might think. "well, who else would he do it for? gandhi?"

lottie rolls her eyes. " _you_ , dumbass. he did it to impress _you_."

"i'm not impressed," louis says, "i'm _concerned_. he must be clinically insane."

"he told me he couldn't date me, so i asked him why," she continues, grinning now, ignoring louis. "he said 'i'm into your brother'".

louis stares. there's no way. "you're such a bad liar." 

"i'm not lying. that's what he said. word for word." she widens her eyes meaningfully when louis doesn't answer. " _well_?" she asks.

"well what?"

"do you like him?"

"oh, fuck off, lottie," he scoffs.

"you _do_ , don't you?" she laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "god, i knew you were gay. nobody who's straight watches that much america's next top model."

"i'm not _gay_ ," louis spits.

"have you kissed him?"

" _no_ ," he sneers, "i exclusively kiss women."

lottie's face falls. " _hmm_. let me feel your hands."

"no." louis looks down, immediately standing up and trying to make as much space between them as possible. she runs after him, giddy, reaching for his hands.

"they're sweaty!" she announces in glee.

"so what?" louis asks, distressed. "it's warm out."

"then why aren't your arms sweaty too, dumbass?" she grins and goes to leave. "i told harry he had my permission to ask you out."

"bitch!" he manages to call just as she shuts the door behind her.

* * *

 

he's not gay. just because you let a guy fondle your feet and don't make them stop, that doesn't mean you're gay. just because your hands sweat when some guy looks at you, that doesn't make you gay. 

the next time he sees harry he's just going to tell him to stop all of it. it's not normal. and louis really, honestly doesn't like it. because he's not gay.

harry lets himself into his trailer that afternoon and stands in the doorway to louis' tiny bedroom, frowning. "are you okay?"

"i'm fine," louis says cooly. "maybe you should go." faced with the possibility of losing harry's friendship by telling him off, he feels like he needs to punch a hole in the wall.

looking a little hurt by louis' words, harry nods. then sits down on the bed beside louis. "i think you need a hug."

"don't patronize me," louis snaps.

harry wraps his arms around louis and squeezes him, resting his chin on louis' shoulder. louis feels like his organs are being wrung out and closes his eyes tightly. harry uses one of his gigantic hands to rub louis' back and louis feels oddly like he's going to cry. he feels very sad all of a sudden and wants to be alone. he doesn't understand his own feelings. he's embarrassed.

"i think i want a nap," louis says, eyes down, voice wobbling shamefully.

"okay." harry lets him go and gets up to pull the curtain that's there instead of a door. he waits for louis to lay down and press his face into his pillow before laying behind him and grasping his shoulders, thumbs moving in circles.

"fag," louis says halfheartedly and half-asleep.

harry hums and nods his head into louis' back.

it's as close to a confirmation as louis' ever gotten from harry.


End file.
